I Let Her Go
by thecountryofwhiskeyandlove
Summary: Inspired by the "I let her go" scene from Walt Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Snow finds Ruby alone and heartbroken after an evening with Belle. We look back on earlier in the night to see the events that transpired. One-shot. One-sided, Red Beauty angst. Mentioned Rumbelle.


"How'd it go? I saw Belle leaving as I coming over and she looked happy. Did you tell her? What did she say? Tell me everything!" Snow said as she entered, words flying out at a mile a minute. Ruby had told Snow all about her plans for tonight, how she planned to sit Belle down and profess her feelings for her. It was about time too. Snow, among a few others, was getting tired of Ruby and Belle blatantly denying the shift in heir relationship.

Ruby, however, seemed less than thrilled. Sitting with her knees curled up by her chest and staring blankly out the window, se replied "I let her go." Her voice was flat. There was not anguish, no anger, no devastation. It was almost haunting.

"That's grea-" Snow started, having fully expected good news. After Ruby's words sank in her face fell, but the frantic tone of her voice didn't change "What? I thought- What on Earth made you do that?" Snow was now at her friend's side, a hand resting on Ruby's back.

"I had to." Ruby answered just as simply as she had answered Snow's last question.

"But why?" Snow insisted, now rubbing gentle circles on Ruby's back.

Slowly but surely, Snow's comforting broke Ruby's wall of emotionlessness. Tears started to well up in her eyes. "Because I love her." Ruby's voice cracked, her strength now failing to push down the lump in her throat. She turned into Snow, gripping at her shoulders for support as she sobbed into her chest. Snow just pulled her into a tight hug, prepared to stay there all night if necessary.

-xxx-

"_Wow, all this for Girls' Night?" Belle asked in mock-amazement. Ruby's place was cleaned spotless, for starters, and dinner was homemade and placed perfectly on the plates like individual works of art rather than their usual take out. It was a change, but it certainly wasn't unappreciated. _

_Other than how clean everything was and the home cooked meal, Girls' Night was business as usual. After the dinner the two were curled up on the couch making small talk and ignoring the quiet drone of the television. Every now and then they would drift off into a comfortable silence. _

"_Ruby? Can I ask you something personal?" Belle asked a little quieter and more somber than she had been speaking throughout the night. Ruby's heart froze. Could she have already known? Was all this careful planning and building up the nerve for the right moment be for nothing? No, Ruby refused to believe it. Could she possibly return Ruby's feelings and had just worked up the courage to say it before she could? Maybe, just maybe._

"_Sure, what's up?" Ruby answered, using all her strength to keep her voice from wavering. Her heart was beating at an alarming rate to make up for lost time. She tried to quell the feeling that Belle was going to admit the same thing Ruby had wanted to, trying to avoid getting her hopes up. _

"_I've been thinking about Rumple- Mr. Gold," No longer frozen, no longer beating faster than she could handle, Ruby felt her heart shatter. " I can't ignore the fact I still have feelings for him, and he has made an effort to change and-" she paused "I don't think I gave him enough time _to _change. That still doesn't change what he's done, or that he did technically break a promise to me, but I've always believed that when something or someone is worth it you fight for it." _

"_You were going to ask me a question?" Ruby teased. She couldn't have masked the bitter nip in her voice if she had tried. Belle chuckled, however, so it might not have been as apparent as it seemed to Ruby._

"_I guess what I'm trying to ask is: is he worth fighting for?" Ruby thought for a minute. She could use this question to turn everything in her favor. All she would have to do I say no and Belle would trust her whole heartedly. Nearly every ounce of her was screaming at her to do it, put Rumpelstiltskin out of the picture once and for all. Her conscience won out, though._

"_Does he make you happy, Belle?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Then go and fight for him." _

"_Thank you," Belle said as she pulled Ruby into a tight hug. _

"_Come on, enough of Girls' Night! You've got a man to go get back," Ruby teased as if she hadn't just been crushed. Both girls laughed and stood from the couch. Ruby walked Belle to the door and helped her into her coat. They stood there at the doorway for a moment, lingering in the silence that, for the first time, was uncomfortable._

"_Thank you, Ruby," Belle said again. This time was different though. It wasn't as off-hand as the last had been. "For everything," She gave Ruby a small, apologetic smile._

_She knew. Belle knew what Ruby had planned to tell her tonight. Asking Ruby about Rumpelstiltskin hadn't been for advice, it had been for permission. Permission to go back to the Dark One without breaking Ruby's heart. That ship had sailed though. They stared at each other for a moment, both acutely aware that the other was aware of what was going unsaid, yet neither wanting to bring it out into the open, as if speaking the words would change the situation somehow._

"_No problem. What are friends for, right?" And with that Ruby locked her place in Belle's life. She could never be anything more than a friend to her, and it was time to embrace that. _

_Belle gave Ruby another hug, and before pulling away completely, gave Ruby a gentle kiss on the cheek. A consolation prize, though Ruby cynically. The worst part about it all though, was that Ruby could not bring herself to be angry with Belle. Here the girl was about to walk out the door with Ruby's heart, and yet Ruby was almost content to see her go. Oh yes, she felt crushed, destroyed even; but that didn't matter, because Belle was going to be happy._

"_Well I should probably head out."_

"_Yeah."_

"_Good night"_

"'_Night," Ruby opened the door and Belle started to leave. When she was a few paces out into the cold night air, Ruby called after her, "Be safe."_

_Belle turned her head and gave her a smile "You too." _


End file.
